Love in Action · Week 2 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Maximilian Kolbe
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
A friar with a printing press
Raymond Kolbe was born in Poland in blank 1, the son of poor weavers. As a boy he had a dream or vision in which Mary offered him two crowns: white for purity and red for martyrdom. He asked for both.
At 16 he became a blank 2 friar named Maximilian. He studied in Rome, earned two doctorates, and was ordained a priest in 1918. Tuberculosis left him with only one working lung.
He chose the mass media of his day. His magazine, Knight of the Immaculata, became one of the biggest in Poland. His blank 3, Niepokalanów, grew to over 700 friars with its own printing press and radio station.
Kolbe’s life
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1894 | Write your answer |
| 1910 | Write your answer |
| 1917 | Write your answer |
| 1922 | Write your answer |
| 1927 | Write your answer |
| 1930 | Write your answer |
| 1939 | Write your answer |
| 1941 | Write your answer |
Quick check
What did Kolbe’s friary do after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939? Circle one.
- A It closed and the friars left for Japan
- B It stopped all printing to stay safe
- C It moved its presses to Rome for the war
- D It sheltered refugees, including Jews
Why is that the right answer?
“I want to take his place”
At blank 4, Kolbe became prisoner number 16670. Guards beat him because he was a priest. He still shared his food and secretly heard confessions.
In July 1941 a prisoner escaped. As punishment, the guards picked ten men to die of starvation in an blank 5 cell. One of them, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out for his wife and children.
Kolbe stepped forward and said, “I am a Catholic priest. I want to take his place.” The guard agreed. In the cell Kolbe led the men in prayers and songs. He was the last one alive, and he was killed on blank 6 14, 1941.
Quick check
Which detail best shows that Kolbe’s offer was a free choice? Circle one.
- A He stepped forward for a man he did not know
- B The guards had already chosen him to die
- C He was the oldest prisoner in the group
- D The other prisoners asked him to volunteer
Why is that the right answer?
Poison or creative love?
Kolbe said, “The most deadly poison of our times is indifference,” and “Only love is creative.” Sort each online action. Check one box for each.
| Item | Creative love | Indifference | Hatred |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messaging a classmate who was mocked in the group chat | |||
| Scrolling past a friend’s post asking for help | |||
| Piling on with insults in a comment thread | |||
| Making a video that explains something true and good | |||
| Watching a cruel post spread and saying nothing | |||
| Sharing an embarrassing photo to hurt someone | |||
| Giving up game time to help a younger sibling |
Quick check
Why does the Church call Kolbe the “Martyr of Charity”? Circle one.
- A He founded a charity for poor weavers
- B He gave away all the friary’s money
- C He gave his life out of love for another
- D He was killed for refusing to print
Why is that the right answer?
Think, pair, share
Kolbe said, “No one in the world can change Truth.” He printed the truth even when it was dangerous. Where is it hard to tell the truth or stand up for someone online, and what would it cost you?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “It is hard to speak up online when ...”“One thing it might cost me is ...”“Kolbe’s example makes me think I could ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
John 15:13
Lord Jesus, you laid down your life for us.
Free us from indifference and make our love creative.
Help us use every tool we have to tell the truth and serve others.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Kolbe built, printed, broadcast and finally gave everything, all out of love.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: This week, do one thing online that Kolbe would call creative love: encourage someone, defend someone, or share something true.